Hockey 9’s ready to roll

Thirty minutes of play, nine players a side with a forward positioned in the attack zone at all times, goal posts widened by a metre — these are a few innovations Australian hockey legend Ric Charlesworth has come up with to make the game faster and an instant hit with the masses.
The Lanco International SuperSeries Hockey 9’s is ready to roll in Perth from October 20, with the Indian men’s and women’s teams set to face the likes of Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand and Malaysia in the first of its kind tournament.

“The idea of nine-a-side hockey developed with the aim to taking the game to the crowds. People love to see goals being scored and the new format — with relaxed rules — will allow plenty of space for that,” said Charlesworth from Australia.

Under the new rules, nine players will take the field and the matches will be played in two 15-minute halves. The matches will be played on a standard field, with unlimited substitutions. The penalty corner rules have also been altered to encourage continuous play.

The women’s team have put in long hours during their just-concluded camp to adapt to the new style of play, but coach C.R. Kumar reckoned the competition “wouldn’t be easy” even with three teams in the fray.

“The format requires very, very fit players.

Keeping one player permanently in the rival half means a team can defend with only eight players, including the goalkeeper.

The counter-attacks can be swift and one will have to be very calculated.

“The format will be an experience for the women’s team. We are more focused on the four-match test series against Australia prior to the tournament, and the 9’s event should follow up as a learning curve,” Kumar said.